Two CHP Plants Getting Wärtsilä Engines

Wärtsilä will supply its combined heat and power (CHP) power plant solution based on the Wärtsilä 31SG gas-fueled engine for two new projects in Italy.

The contract is with ENGIE Italia, a player in energy and services, who will use the plants to supply electricity, steam, and hot water to the Marcegaglia Group, a leader in the global steel processing industry. The new Wärtsilä CHP solutions will replace boilers at the two sites which currently provide the required heat, while the needed electricity is now being supplied from the distribution grid.

“As an energy service provider, our aim is always to reduce the environmental impact of our operations and to deliver energy cost savings to our customers, whether they are residential, commercial, or industrial customers. Total efficiency and emission reductions are, therefore, of the highest priority and were the primary factors in selecting the Wärtsilä solution,” said Carlo Perrone, BtB Director of ENGIE Italia. “These two projects with Wärtsilä engines will enable us to deliver energy at an optimal cost to our clients and to optimize our business plan, while positively contributing to the energy transition.”

The Ravenna plant in Northern Italy will feature three Wärtsilä 31SG engines with a total output of 35.2 MW, and the Gazoldo degli Ippoliti plant in Lombardia will operate on two Wärtsilä 31SG engines delivering 21.4 MW. Delivery of the equipment will begin in early 2021 and the plants are expected to become fully operational by the end of that year.

“Technically, the Wärtsilä 31SG engine is in a class of its own. While these will be the first CHP installations in Italy using this engine, its popularity is rapidly growing for applications around the world. Energy system efficiency is increasingly important as the world faces the need to reduce CO2 emissions, and the Wärtsilä 31 engine is a key efficiency enabler,” commented Pekka Tolonen, Director, Europe, Wärtsilä Energy.

Wärtsilä has a strong presence in Italy, and these new installations will bring the total capacity provided by Wärtsilä engines in Italy to more than 1.5 GW.